Return
by 20FacesChizu
Summary: She saw him leave in a Dream. She saw him complete his goal in a dream. Will she also foresee his return?
1. You

_**Disclaimer:** Doesn't own Naruto. But… could I buy Iruka? I want him!_

**_Return _**

_Kyuubi Tenshi_

**You **

Sakura stared over the village sullenly from her place in a tall maple. She was supposed to be playing hide-and-go-seek with Naruto, Hinata and a few others from her class, but… she had only agreed because they wouldn't shut up otherwise. They were coming close to becoming Jounin, she and Naruto… the exam was only a couple weeks away. It seemed… so long ago, that Sasuke had left them, but his words… his last words… they still burned painfully in her mind.

"_Sakura… thank you."_

Words of gratitude. He had chosen to leave her with words of gratitude to remember him by. He had left seven years ago. The anniversary was just three days ago; not that it was surprising, but… she had seen a strange dream in her deep sleep, and when the clock first struck midnight, she had shot up in bed, gasping for breath at what she had seen.

Sasuke, and his brother Itachi. They were fighting, and Sasuke was being beaten badly. She could feel the rain from the cloud-darkened night sky on her arms, soaking her hair as she watched them battle. At long last, Itachi sat on his younger brother's stomach, a kunai clutched lightly in his hand as he gloated over his victory, taunting the avenger with it before he killed him. But… despite his near-death condition, Sasuke managed to throw his brother off and bring his own kunai down into his throat in a single, graceful movement. Itachi said no more, and she watched as the bleeding Sasuke fainted atop his brother's corpse.

Had he lived? Had he died? Was the dream just that, or a vision? There were so many unanswered questions! She looked back, remembering her comrades. They were, for the most part, 19 years old. Sasuke… he would be 19 now… wouldn't he? She thought about what he would return to, if he did return. Ino and Shikamaru dating, and if her sources were correct, he was planning to propose soon. Naruto had stopped chasing her long before, and now his eyes were only for Hinata, and their wedding was to take place after the final exam to become Jounin. The surprises were really Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei. Kakashi was dating, for one, but here's the kicker: Iruka had gotten married just over a year ago to a fellow Chuunin named Kirya. Truly, they were a perfect match. And even then, that was not all she would have to tell him.

She was beginning to hear the telltale pop of unconcealed footsteps on twigs beneath her, and, not wanting to be caught, she noiselessly made her way to another tree. They continued in her direction, so she veered off to the right, making her way through several dozen of the magnificent oaks. It obviously picked up its pace and turned to come after her. Had he heard her? Sensed her presence? Naruto had gotten fairly good at predicting movement… was he even now predicting hers? She forced herself to forget about Sasuke and the dream, and quickly leapt through the trees towards what they had deemed as 'base'. It seemed that he had taken to the trees behind her. Wait… he was in the one directly behind her! Last she looked, he wasn't that fast!

A calloused hand covered her mouth, and a strong arm wrapped around her waist securely, holding her tight to a rock-hard body. She tried to scream, but it was no use. He wasn't saying anything! This… this obviously wasn't Naruto. He was nothing like this! She attempted to escape from his grasp, but to no avail. He was too strong for her to break free at this angle. He continued traveling through the trees with her, holding her tightly and protecting her from the swinging branches even as he made off with her deeper into the forest, changing direction and going away from civilization completely. Her mind was beginning to numb with fear. Somehow… these hands were familiar, it said, but were they familiar because they caused her pain, or touched her gently somehow? He hid his face behind her, out of view, but she caught flashes of black every once and again, showing that even if she had a clear view, he was wearing a mask.

_Kakashi-sensei? _she wondered briefly, but a moment later she caught sight of raven tresses, and mentally shook her head. _But Kakashi-sensei has gray hair, not black. _

The man lighted next to small brook that ran through the dense thicket. The hand that he had clasped over her mouth gentled, becoming relaxed, resting over her lips softly as though giving them a sweet caress and reminding her not to scream. He loosened his hand around her waist, though not enough for her to get away, and allowed her to turn around and face him.

She had been right. A mask was situated in his face much like Kakashi's, the headband tilted in the same manner. Though she noticed he gave off none of the lazy appearance that the silver-haired Jounin did. But as her emerald eyes trailed over his face, something familiar met her gaze. An onyx eye.

Deep onyx, darker than the darkest shadows and hearts that she had come across in any of her missions. An onyx that was so familiar it seemed as though her eyes had never lost contact with them.

"You…"

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**AN: This is a weird ficlet I wrote about a year ago. It's only four chapters, but please enjoy it anyway.**

**REVIEW, ONEGAI!**


	2. Fears

**Fears**

Her hand traced up lightly to the edge of the mask, but as she began to draw it away, he stilled the movement, readjusting the mask to cover his face. He shook his head lightly, grasping her hand in his as he released his hold on her waist completely and backed away.

"Sakura, it's been ages," she heard him murmur, his voice devoid of emotion as always. His visible eye softened as he looked her over. "You've grown into quite a woman."

"Sasuke…"

What could she say? Basic translation of his greeting was 'Sakura, I missed you. You've grown into a beautiful young woman'! When was the last time Sasuke said anything even related to that?! Especially to her? She wanted to see beyond his mask; the curiosity was killing her. Wait… wasn't there some sort of facial injury in her dream…?

"You were scarred by one of his attacks, weren't you?" she asked softly. Shock became evident in his eye. "I saw you leave in a dream. I saw your battle in a dream. The only thing I never saw was your return. I wondered if you had lived after you collapsed."

He was silent. She had seen it all? She knew? He didn't really want her to see his face… after the way Itachi had attacked him so violently, he had many scars all over from his elder brother alone. The worst one being on his face. He wondered vaguely if he should show her, but he was hesitant. Like all the other girls in his village, she probably only liked him for his looks…

"I know that you were injured badly. I watched him swipe the kunai across your face," she murmured sincerely. She reached with deft fingers to pull it away, but again, he stilled her hand. He shook his head sadly.

"Not… not quite yet, Sakura. First, tell me about our comrades."

She looked at him in confusion. He seemed… so much more amicable than when he had left, despite his emotionless voice. Comrades? Had he ever called them such a name? Labeled them in such a way? It felt as though he hadn't. She looked back over all she had thought to tell him in the treetops and, despite her slight awe at his changed temperament, decided to be playful.

"Well, that depends on who you want to know about," she replied coyly, turning away and walking towards the small brook and taking a seat beside it. Unknown to her, his eyes had been glued to her; taking in everything about the grown woman he'd last seen as a preteen. He played her game.

"Just give a quick run-down."

"Give me a place to start," replied playfully as he took a seat beside her. She could see his eye twinkling in pleasure of their game. "We have many comrades, if you recall."

"Naruto."

She wasn't in the least surprised that he had asked about the blonde-haired boy that they'd been teamed with on the Genin level. She tried to think of everything and form a coherent, short-and-to-the-point sentence to describe him. She could not, but still tried to remain concise.

"He stopped chasing me not too long after you left. He's getting married to Hinata in about three weeks after we take the final exam to become Jounin. He's become… _quiet_, believe it or not, and is now quite the intellectual," she told him. She heard a surprised grunt come from him at the last comment, but rather than tease him about it, she continued to play her game, giving him one of Naruto's fox-like grins. "Next?"

"Kakashi-sensei."

"Dating," she returned simply.

"Iruka-sensei?"

"Married. First child on the way. If it's a boy, they're naming it Kenshin; girl, Misaki," she replied again. He still maintained his surprised look.

"Shikamaru?"

"Dating. Ino, surprisingly, but dating nonetheless."

There came a silence. It was comfortable; the birds could be heard chirping in the background and a light breeze danced with the treetops. The water bubbled and gurgled over the rocks in the creek bed, seeming to beckon to them to enter its currents and play, to release all their cares and free their minds of the past. They felt content to sit in one another's presence, and the surprise had since melted away to reveal this contentment. Though in but a moment, the slightly playful look had returned.

"And you, Sakura?" he queried softly. She startled a bit, but as she settled down, the wind whipping her loose hair about her face, she thought about her response for a moment.

"Single. Preparing to take the Jounin exam. Feeling…" she paused for a moment, but continued, "content, to… know that you came back. But…"

"But?"

"I have a question."

"It being?"

"Why… why didn't you just call out to me? Get my attention? Why did you have to capture me like you were some enemy?" she asked, refusing to look at him. He was silent. Was there even an answer to her question? Did he want to tell the answer if there was? The playfulness had left him, and he stared at the flowing water, as if it would give the answers to him, as well.

"I had my reasons."

Reasons he would not tell. She understood. He was never one to reveal secrets. The silence laid claim to them once again, itchy with the need for something to be said. She started, but closed her mouth again, unsure if small talk was the best idea. It was Sasuke who was the one to speak.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly, gently, concernedly. She looked at him in slight confusion as to the question, and when he saw this, to her surprise he moved a little closer, for once looking her in the eye. "Why have you changed? You don't seem to smile. You were playing a game with your friends, yet you used it as time to sneak away and reveal your sadness. Where's that cute grin that used to never leave your face?"

She looked at him sadly, a depressed smile slightly quirking the corners of her mouth as she dropped her gaze.

"When you left, I became afraid. Now sadness is more a part of me than the cheerfulness ever was," she murmured, turning away. She was turned back, though, by a gentle, but forceful, hand, to look deep into an eye of onyx.

"Fear, Sakura? What were you afraid of?"

"Without you, Sasuke, much. I was afraid to laugh, afraid to cry; afraid to live… afraid to die," she told him softly, the sad smile quirking the corners of her mouth again. "I guess when you left… I kinda put happiness on hold."

What could he say to that? Her words seemed as though… seemed as though she'd read them somewhere, but he knew that this Sakura was probably the one the team had never seen. Among them, there had been particular emotions that she always showed, but not much beyond them. He had always known that there had to be a second side to her, but he was slightly surprised that this would be the time when it was revealed.

"Sakura, I'm…"

Could he say it? Did he dare? Was now even the best time? Questions ran rampant in his mind. He was afraid of nothing, save… save rejection by _her_, now. But… he would never know unless he said something.

"Sakura, I'm sorry for making you wait."

She looked up at him, and noticed how his eyes had softened with emotion. Wait… for her happiness, did he mean? Was that it? She was unsure; Sasuke had said thank you last time, not I love you. Would he even think to say it now, after seven years had passed without them being near to one another? He guided her hand up to the edge of the mask, as though asking her to remove it if she wished.

With reverent fingers, she pulled it down, but neither shock nor horror covered her features at the sight as he had expected. She ran her fingers over the two red scars; one ran from the hairline to his chin at a slope over his cheek, and the other ran the opposite direction, from the bridge of his nose to his jawbone. A four-pointed star, if you will. He wondered what she was thinking as she caressed the mark softly. His onyx eyes met hers for a moment before he drew her into a gentle embrace.

Her head rested against his chest, and she listened to his quiet heartbeat. This… she had dreamed of this feeling for so long… could it possibly be a reality? His soft breaths toyed with her hair sweetly, and he rocked her back and forth just a bit. His fingers pressed into the gradually relaxing muscles of her back, and she retrained a sigh. This felt so much like a dream…

She pulled herself from his embrace, turning away. It was hard not to cry; she stifled a sob that threatened her. She couldn't cry… not here… not now. The concerned voice of the Uchiha boy called her name quietly. She couldn't look at him. She knew these beautiful images would disappear soon… but she could not ignore his question.

"Sakura, have I lost you forever? Did I really wait too long?"

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**AN: Enjoy, review. I don't feel like railing on you. Besides, you're more likely to rail on me because of the late update.**


	3. Dreams

_**Note: **Despite the fact that a lot of this chapter is severe deja vu, don't just blow it off. READ IT, because there are differences._

**Dreams **

Haruno Sakura slid her eyes open to the morning sun.

"_Sakura, have I lost you forever? Did I really take too long?"_

She sighed as she allowed the sunlight to play over her face. Kakashi-sensei was always late, so her didn't really have a right to criticize if she was late just once, as well. Naruto would likely be wondering after her though; he knew that she was usually quite upset at anyone, including herself, who was ever late.

The words from the dream kept playing themselves over in her head. Was the dream another prediction, the one for his return? It… it had to be impossible. Then again… wouldn't it be ironic if to the very detail such a thing happened? She had seen him leave: would it be entirely impossible that she would see this as well? It was amazing, she thought, that even in the dream she could sense the unreality. Well, maybe not that amazing.

How could anyone ever _not _notice unreality when Uchiha Sasuke was drawing you into a tender, loving embrace? She gave a dry, bitter laugh.

Sakura's appearance had changed much from when he had left. She looked at the one picture they had taken together, and wondered how Sasuke himself had changed. Her hair, once only meeting her shoulder blades in light, cotton candy pink, was now so incredibly long that she had to wear it up or she sat on it at some point in time or another, and had darkened to almost deep magenta in tone. Her once slight, weak frame and barely perceptible curves had filled, and she was one of the stronger Chuunin, thanks to her sparring with Naruto, and she was considered rivaled by few in the village for beauty. The red dress had since been exchanged for black cargo pants and a traditional-looking sleeveless violet top with red phoenixes embroidered in its heavy material. She proudly wore the Chuunin headband, though instead of using it as a headband like she had as a Genin, she opted to half-follow Ino's example, and chose to wear it as a belt. She always maintained violet, fingerless gloves that matched her top to finish her look.

She vaguely trotted through the house at an easy lope, taking time to dodge through the kitchen, grab an apple, and swing through the back door. She took to the rooftops after that, and went to the bridge at which they always met. Naruto and Kakashi were there already, as expected, but the surprise was that, as in her dream the night before, Hinata, Ino, Shikamaru and several others of their classmates and fellow shinobi were there. She was having a rather peculiar déjà vu.

It was quickly explained to her by Naruto that they were having training today, true, but the training was to keep away from those who knew you best in a game of hide-and-seek.

_So __**this **__is how it began… _Sakura mused skeptically.

"Alright, Sakura, I'm it next, ok?" Naruto informed her gently, seeming to notice that she wasn't quite with them at the time. She nodded vaguely, and waited for the word. With it given, she disappeared amongst the thick foliage. But her steps… she knew that every move was unconsciously taking her towards the place she knew they'd meet, and a few minutes later, she perched, watching a familiar scene.

She stared over the village sullenly from her place in a tall maple.

It seemed… so long ago, that Sasuke had left them, but his words… his last words… they still burned painfully in her mind.

"_Sakura… thank you."_

Words of gratitude. He had chosen to leave her with words of gratitude to remember him by. He had left seven years ago. The anniversary was just three days ago; not that it was surprising, but… she had seen a strange dream in her deep sleep, and when the clock first struck midnight, she had shot up in bed, gasping for breath at what she had seen.

Sasuke, and his brother Itachi. They were fighting, and Sasuke was being beaten badly. She could feel the rain from the cloud-darkened night sky on her arms, soaking her hair as she watched them battle. At long last, Itachi sat on his younger brother's stomach, a kunai clutched lightly in his hand as he gloated over his victory, taunting the avenger with it before he killed him. But… despite his near-death condition, Sasuke managed to throw his brother off and bring his own kunai down into his throat in a single, graceful movement. Itachi said no more, and she watched as the bleeding Sasuke fainted atop his brother's corpse.

Had he lived? Had he died? Was the dream just that, or a vision? There were so many unanswered questions! She looked back, remembering her comrades. They were, for the most part, 19 years old. Sasuke… he would be 19 now… wouldn't he? She though about what he would return to, if he did return. Ino and Shikamaru dating, and if her sources were correct, he was planning to propose soon. Naruto had stopped chasing her long before, and now his eyes were only for Hinata, and their wedding was to take place after the final exam to become Jounin. The surprises were really Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei. Kakashi was dating, for one, but here's the kicker: Iruka had gotten married just over a year ago to a fellow Chuunin named Kirya. Truly, they were a perfect match. And even then, that was not all she would have to tell him.

She was beginning to hear the telltale pop of unconcealed footsteps on twigs beneath her, and, not wanting to be caught, she noiselessly made her way to another tree. They continued in her direction, so she veered off to the right, making her way through several dozen of the magnificent oaks. It obviously picked up its pace and turned to come after her. Had he heard her? Sensed her presence? Naruto had gotten fairly good at predicting movement… was he even now predicting hers? She forced herself to forget about Sasuke and the dream, and quickly leapt through the trees towards what they had deemed as 'base'. It seemed that he had taken to the trees behind her. Wait… he was in the one directly behind her! Last she looked, he wasn't that fast!

A calloused hand covered her mouth, and a strong arm wrapped around her waist securely, holding her tight to a rock-hard body. She tried to scream, but it was no use. He wasn't saying anything! This… this obviously wasn't Naruto. He was nothing like this! She attempted to escape from his grasp, but to no avail. He was too strong for her to break free at this angle. He continued traveling through the trees with her, holding her tightly and protecting her from the swinging branches even as he made off with her deeper into the forest, changing direction and going away from civilization completely. Her mind was beginning to num with fear. Somehow… these hands were familiar, it said, but were they familiar because they caused her pain, or touched her gently somehow? He hid his face behind her, out of view, but she caught flashes of black every once and again, showing that even if she had a clear view, he was wearing a mask.

_Kakashi-sensei? _she wondered briefly, but a moment later she caught sight of raven tresses, and mentally shook her head. _But Kakashi-sensei has gray hair, not black. _

The man lighted next to small brook that ran through the dense thicket. The hand that he had clasped over her mouth gentled, becoming relaxed, resting over her lips softly as though giving them a sweet caress and reminding her not to scream. He loosened his hand around her waist, though not enough for her to get away, and allowed her to turn around and face him.

She had been right. A mask was situated in his face much like Kakashi's, the headband tilted in the same manner. Though she noticed he gave off none of the lazy appearance that the silver-haired Jounin did. But as her emerald eyes trailed over his face, something familiar met her gaze. An onyx eye.

Deep onyx, darker than the darkest shadows and hearts that she had come across in any of her missions. An onyx that was so familiar it seemed as though her eyes had never lost contact with them.

"You…"

* * *

**AN: And the next chapter is the LAST ONE! Yayses! Please REVIEW!**


	4. Becoming Reality

**Becoming Reality **

The conversation went exactly as it had in her dream.

"_Without you, Sasuke, much. I was afraid to laugh, afraid to cry; afraid to live… afraid to die."_

The words had been the same. His expression had been the same. She wondered if she wasn't in another dream, for once again he embraced her with tenderness, drawing her against him. This couldn't be real…

As in the dream, she turned away, restraining tears and sobs at how real she wished it could be but how it could never truly _be_. She felt his body droop slightly in sadness behind her.

"Sakura, have I lost you forever? Did I really wait too long?"

The question again. How could she answer? The dream had not shown her the way, merely what would happen when she found the path. With determination she didn't know she had, Sakura turned to look him in the eyes. Oh, what beautiful eyes they were… but they were eyes that had watched so many horrors that he was incapable to speak of them. Could she tell him? Even if she could, how? What could you say to something so soft and sweet, yet insecure in its longing?

"A dream… cannot be answered, Sasuke, as easily as one might believe," she murmured, though she knew he would not understand. She leaned towards him, slow with hesitancy, before pressing a chaste kiss on his lips. It lasted only a second, though, before she broke the gentle contact and stood, running off into the woods back towards her friends, leaving him to his stunned, blank mind. "Sasuke…"

As though merely whispering his name as she had done summoned him to her very side, he appeared, his arms locking securely around her waist before she could escape. She gasped as her momentum crushed her stomach against the appendage.

"Don't try to run away from me, Sakura. I must admit that you are harder to catch than before, but I will always be the stronger and faster of us two," he murmured in her ear playfully, pressing her body tightly against his. She felt their racing hearts beat together as one, and the heat of his breath on her ear. This, though, was no comparison to the final sensations he gave her. With gentle, yet possessive hands, he turned her to face him, and pressed a claim-like kiss onto her lips. She felt his arms wrap around her even more tightly than before, and sensed that there was even more passion beneath this surface. Her hands subconsciously slipped around to massage the base of his neck.

He pulled away carefully, and began trailing soft kisses over her cheek and down her jaw, caressing his lips ever lower over her neck, glinting over the skin tauntingly. How long had he suppressed his desire for this? Longer than she would ever know. He pulled back, but rested his forehead against hers. In his shadow, the light jade orbs seemed a shimmering green-black; they had noticeably darkened since they had seen one another all those seven years ago. A dark, sensual smile played over her lips.

"From now on, I will always believe in my dreams. It seems that, even without my help, they always become a reality."

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**AN: Tada! OWARI! Please Reviews!**


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